MEET DAVID LANDSNESS
Midwestern Roots
Growing up in Maple Grove, Minnesota with the motto “Serving Today, Shaping Tomorrow” molded me into the man that I am today: curious, courteous and connected to a culture that values hard work and perseverance. It also explains why one of my favorite movies is the Coen Brothers classic, “Fargo.”
Seattle Dave: Change Is In the Air
My first road trip in the brand new Chevy Van 20 took the family – my older sisters Jenny and Sara along with my parents Dick and Debbie – from the Twin Cities to Redmond, Washington. Stops along the way included Mount Rushmore, Devils Tower and Yellowstone. Living in Seattle for five years cemented my love of grunge music, Air Jordans and snow skiing and opened up my perspective and world view.
A Lifelong Learner Graduates
Another road trip, another cross-country move. My destination: Iowa. Highlights include volunteering on the ’92 Clinton campaign, serving on the student council, graduating from Bettendorf High School and The University of Iowa with degrees in Political Science (B.S.), Economics (B.A.), and a minor in Business Administration. Many jobs during this time included crew trainer at McDonald’s, Operations Director of Student Video Productions at Iowa, and my favorite, a jack-of-all-trades Projectionist/Usher/Concessions Cashier at the Campus Theaters in Iowa City, IA.
Hooray for Hollywood
Washington D.C. or L.A.? I was a fresh-faced college graduate who was ready to change the world, but where to do it? The dawn of a new century coincided with another cross-country move, now in my ’88 Chevy Beretta to…drumroll… sunny Los Angeles.
I joined a community of likeminded creatives from across the country – Oregon, Texas, New Jersey, Alabama – and began pursuing a career in the entertainment business. Highlights included being accepted into the Producers Guild of America, acting in horror movies, and learning to build and launch websites. It was an exciting time indeed.
The Disney Decade
The plan was to work on Al Gore’s convention in LA. Something bigger was ahead. Disney Online hired me, and I rose quickly through the ranks to become Managing Producer. In that role, I developed and executed video product strategy for the Interactive Division’s first foray into original video content. Collaborating with so many talented colleagues —from the Muppets to a “desperate housewife” — to meet fast-paced advertiser (Gap, Target, Chevy) needs and high-quality product standards. I learned from the best and developed my work style.
A Fast & Furious Producer
Recruited from Disney to become Director of Video at Edmunds.com — a leading car shopping platform — I oversaw the production of thousands of editorial and branded videos across all digital properties. While providing strategic direction and management oversight, my team and I focused on high-quality, scalable formats tailored to all major social platforms to build brand/audience engagement. A perk of the job was traveling 150k+ miles around the globe covering auto shows and racking up a ton of Delta SkyMiles.
Westside Living: Sand & Sensibility
This year marks my 20th anniversary here in the Southland with half spent living in Santa Monica. My experience at Disney and Edmunds.com earned industry recognition with YouTube’s Silver Creator Award, IADAS’s Webby and People’s Voice Awards along with multiple service awards for company loyalty and efficient team collaboration. Future focus includes making documentary films, long and short form, that will spark debate and real-world action by audiences.
Beyond work, I volunteer weekly at Meals on Wheels West, serve on Producers Guild of America committees, and attend events with the Motor Press Guild and International Documentary Association.
You can also find me meditating at Unplug, boxing at BoxUnion or Swenson Boxing, and taking photographs around town in my free time.
If you’d like to collaborate, reach out and let’s get going.